Manuela Altieri Liev
Lyndon Terrell
1
Louisiana Tech LATech 9-22,1-15 Sun Belt
3
Winner Georgia St. GSU 12-16,6-10 Sun Belt
Louisiana Tech LATech
9-22,1-15 Sun Belt
1
Final
3
Georgia St. GSU
12-16,6-10 Sun Belt
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Louisiana Tech LATech 25 19 17 14 (1)
Georgia St. GSU 21 25 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Volleyball |

Panthers Close 2026 Season with 3-1 Victory Over Louisiana Tech

ATLANTA — Senior Akira Burt capped her Georgia State career with a dominant performance Friday afternoon, recording 22 kills and three service aces to lead the Panthers to a 3-1 (21-25, 25-19, 25-17, 25-14) victory over Louisiana Tech in the regular-season finale at the GSU Sports Arena.

One of five seniors honored prior to the match, Burt helped Georgia State finish the season 12-16 overall and 6-10 in Sun Belt Conference play. Last week, Burt became just the 11th player in program history to reach 1,000 career kills.

Georgia State put together one of its strongest offensive performances of the season, hitting .273 as a team while totaling 11 service aces and 21 assists. Manuela Altieri Liev added 12 kills while attacking at a .579 clip, and Annelore Engels distributed a match-high 48 assists.

Defensively, the Panthers limited Louisiana Tech (9-22, 1-15 Sun Belt) to a .144 hitting percentage.

Kylie Rodriguez led the Bulldogs with 10 kills, while no other Louisiana Tech player reached double figures.

How It Happened
Set 1
Georgia State jumped out to an early 3-0 lead behind the serving of Engels, but Louisiana Tech answered with six consecutive points to move in front.

The Panthers battled back and tied the set at 14-14 behind a 6-1 run highlighted by back-to-back service aces from Mina Olgar. After several lead changes late in the set, Louisiana Tech closed on a strong run to claim the opener, 25-21.

Set 2
With the score tied 9-9, Georgia State seized control.

The Panthers used an 8-1 run to build a 17-10 advantage, with Altieri Liev recording three kills during the stretch. Louisiana Tech trimmed the deficit to four points, but Georgia State never allowed the Bulldogs any closer and evened the match with a 25-19 victory.

Set 3
Georgia State carried its momentum into the third set.

An ace from Altieri Liev helped the Panthers build an early 4-1 lead before consecutive aces from Olgar extended the advantage to 11-5. Louisiana Tech could not get closer than seven points the rest of the way as Georgia State hit .310 and rolled to a 25-17 win.

Set 4
The Bulldogs opened the final set with an 8-3 lead, but Georgia State responded immediately.

A 6-1 run, capped by an Olgar kill, gave the Panthers a 10-9 advantage. Tied 10-10, Georgia State took control for good, using a balanced attack and strong serving to pull away.

A block by Burt and Jayden Eaker pushed the lead to 17-12 before the Panthers closed the match with a decisive late run. Julie Arias helped fuel the surge from the service line as Georgia State pulled away for a 25-14 set victory and a 3-1 match win.

Postgame Notes
  • Georgia State finished the season with a 12-16 overall record and a 6-10 mark in Sun Belt Conference play.
  • Akira Burt recorded a match-high 22 kills and three service aces in the victory.
  • Manuela Altieri Liev added 12 kills while hitting .579.
  • Annelore Engels finished with a match-high 48 assists.
  • The Panthers totaled 11 service aces and hit .273 as a team.
  • Georgia State improved to 4-2 all-time against Louisiana Tech.
  • The Panthers finished the season 7-3 at the GSU Sports Arena.
Print Friendly Version